Where the global pet food industry does business

Lynn Weber, Ph.D.

Title

Professor

Company

University of Saskatchewan

Presentation Description:

Glycemic index of different starches in dogs and cats – Lynn Weber, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Saskatchewan, provides the pet food industry with information on the debated concept of glycemic index for a variety of commonly used starches in pet foods and whether the concept applies to both cats and dogs. Glycemic index is a concept borrowed from human nutrition that is a measure of how rapidly carbohydrates are digested and absorbed into the blood stream. Before trying to draw conclusions about health benefits of low glycemic index diets in pets, we need to test whether the concept of glycemic index is valid in these species.

Experience:

Weber obtained her bachelor’s and doctorate degrees from the University of British Columbia, followed by postdoctoral positions at the University of Calgary and Oklahoma State University. She obtained a faculty position at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, where she is a professor and chair of the Toxicology Graduate Program. Weber started her research career studying cardiovascular complications of diabetes in a rodent model of human disease, but then expanded her research horizons to a more comparative approach that included examination of environmental and nutritional influences on metabolic and cardiovascular health. For the past decade, Weber’s research program has included a large focus on dog and cat nutrition. Weber’s pet nutrition program has been driven by industrial partnerships seeking novel formulations for pet foods. Her partners include local and national pet food companies, the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Alliance Grain Traders, as well as scientific collaborations that continue with Jennifer Adolphe at Petcurean (Chilliwack, BC), and many faculty at the University of Saskatchewan and other universities.

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